All parties have a public duty to work together in 2006 to restore power to Northern Ireland's political institutions, Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said today.
He also urged politicians to maintain the momentum generated by the IRA's decision to decommission its weapons arsenal.
Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams
"Now is the time for all those who are genuinely interested in seeing the power sharing government in the north restored and the peace process advanced to show leadership and make a real and genuine effort to end the political vacuum," he said.
The West Belfast MP praised the Provisionals' July decision to abandon arms and claimed the paramilitary organisation had addressed the concerns expressed by unionist leaders.
"As the months have passed it is easy to lose sight of the enormity of what took place and the opportunity that it has opened up," he added. "We are elected by the people in the expectation that we will work on their behalf, not to be members of a political institution that hasn't functioned in over three years."
Mr Adams said that "the time for excuses was over" and, in a reference to the Stormont spying scandal, condemned those who he claimed were working against progress.
"There needs to be a collective effort made to see the political institutions up and running and the other outstanding aspects of the Agreement implemented," he said.
"And as part of this we need to see an immediate end to the activities of those elements in Britain's Intelligence Agencies who are working day and night to prevent progress.
PA